Dunlap v. Spec Pro, Inc.

939 F. Supp. 2d 1075, 2013 WL 1397294, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 52436, 117 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 1618
CourtDistrict Court, D. Colorado
DecidedApril 5, 2013
DocketCivil Action No. 11-cv-02451-PAB-MJW
StatusPublished

This text of 939 F. Supp. 2d 1075 (Dunlap v. Spec Pro, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Colorado primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dunlap v. Spec Pro, Inc., 939 F. Supp. 2d 1075, 2013 WL 1397294, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 52436, 117 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 1618 (D. Colo. 2013).

Opinion

ORDER

PHILIP A. BRIMMER, District Judge.

This matter is before the Court on the Motion for Summary Judgment [Docket No. 21] filed by defendant Spec Pro, Inc. The Court has jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1331.

I. BACKGROUND

Spec Pro is a corporation that contracts with the United States government to provide mail services to Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Plaintiff Tonya Dunlap worked for Spec Pro as a postal service clerk from June 25, 2005 until her termination on May 1, 2009. As a postal service clerk, Ms. Dunlap’s duties included processing and distributing incoming and outgoing mail and packages.

When Spec Pro hires a new employee, it gives him or her a copy of its Employment Manual Policies and Procedures (“employee handbook”). Docket No. 21-1 at 2, ¶ 8; Docket Ños. 21-3, 21-4. Ms. Dunlap testified that she received and read a copy of the employee handbook when she began working for Spec Pro. Docket No. 21-2 at 4-5 (Dunlap Dep. 33:21-25, 34:15-17). The employee handbook identifies, among [1080]*1080other things, several policies that employees may utilize to notify Spec Pro of work related problems. One such policy is the “Issue Resolution Policy.” Docket No. 21-3 at 22 (SPEC 00038). The Issue Resolution Policy recommends that an employee first contact his or her program manager to raise any work related problem. Id. If the program manager is part of the problem, then the policy recommends that the employee seek advice from a director or the Department of Human Resources (“HR”). Id.; see also id. at 23 (SPEC 00039).

In addition to the issue resolution policy, the employee handbook has a policy about “Harassment, Including Sexual Harassment.” Docket No. 21-5 at 10-11 (SPEC 00086-00087). The harassment policy provides specific examples of conduct constituting sexual harassment as it is defined by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”). Id. at 10 (SPEC 00086). The harassment policy prohibits all forms of harassment and states that Spec Pro will investigate allegations of harassment as well as take immediate disciplinary action against any employee found to have harassed a co-worker. Id. In addition, the harassment policy states that all complaints are kept reasonably confidential and reporting employees will not be subject to reprisal. Id. The harassment policy identifies the following persons to whom a complaint can be made: an employee’s immediate supervisor; the next higher level of management; the program manager or director; and the President/Chief Operating Officer (“CEO”).

The sexual harassment policy states that complaints of harassment will be handled through the company’s “Open Door Policy.” Id. at 11 (SPEC 00087). The Open Door Policy states that the “employee is required to first seek assistance from his Program Manager.” Id. at 12 (SPEC 00088). The policy notes that, if an employee’s complaint involves his supervisor, the employee should discuss the matter with the Program Manager or Director, or may request an “independent discussion” with management outside the employee’s area. Id. An employee may also request that an independent observer be present at a meeting with any level of management. Id. If an employee is not satisfied with the outcome of a complaint, the Open Door Policy allows the employee to appeal to a higher level of management. Id. at 13 (SPEC 00089).

In August 2005, shortly after she began working for Spec Pro, Ms. Dunlap alerted Jim Weis and Robert DeYoung, two of her supervisors, that a co-worker by the name of Jason had touched her inappropriately. Docket No. 21-2 at 7-8 (Dunlap Dep. 39:22-40:4). Spec Pro investigated her complaint and terminated Jason’s employment. Id. at 12-13 (Dunlap Dep. 44:21-24, 45:16-19). Ms. Dunlap testified that Spec Pro’s investigation took approximately two weeks from reporting to conclusion. Id.

Ms. Dunlap said that, immediately after Jason’s termination, she was not subject to any form of sexual harassment. However, approximately three weeks after Jason’s termination, the sexual harassment started up again. Ms. Dunlap testified that she was harassed by Mr. DeYoung, Mr. Weis, Mike Burkey, A1 Garcia, and Dave Bidishi.1 Ms. Dunlap said that Mr. DeYoung repeatedly asked her to sleep with him over the course of four years, Docket No. 34-1 at 12 (Dunlap Dep. 47:16-18), and Mr. Weis commented about her breasts and said that she could not drive a work [1081]*1081truck because she was a female. Id. at 13 (Dunlap Dep. 49:15-19).

Ms. Dunlap said that Mr. Burkey sent her inappropriate text messages and emails, which included comments about Ms. Dunlap’s sexual orientation. Id. at 15 (Dunlap Dep. 65:11-14). Mr. Garcia, on the other hand, commented about Ms. Dunlap’s weight and made misogynistic statements such as, she needed to sweep and mop the office floor because that was “women’s work.” Id. at 14 (Dunlap Dep. 61:18-22, 62:6-10); id. at 18 (Dunlap Dep. 16:13-22). As for Mr. Bidishi, Ms. Dunlap claims that he would call her a “fucking bitch,” walk in the bathroom when Ms. Dunlap was using it, “grab [her] ass, and think it was funny,” and repeatedly told her that he wanted to sleep with her. Id. at 14 (Dunlap Dep. 64:12-21). Furthermore, Ms. Dunlap testified that the men at the company traded sexual jokes, had graphic discussions about their sexual liaisons, and rated women passing by the company based on their “fuckability.” Id. at 15 (Dunlap Dep. 65:25-66:8). Ms. Dunlap said that this conduct was “almost an everyday occurrence.” Id. at 14 (Dunlap Dep. 64:20-21).

Ms. Dunlap testified that she reported these events to several Spec Pro employees. First, she told Mary Christine Vargas about Mr. DeYoung’s sexual harassment.2 Id. at 12 (Dunlap Dep. 47:21-25). At the time, Ms. Vargas was the Administrative Manager. Docket No. 21-6 at 1. Ms. Dunlap also testified that she discussed the sexual harassment with Debbie Carrick, an employee at Glacier Technologies, one of Spec Pro’s sister companies.3 Docket No. 21-1 at 4, ¶ 24.

In addition, Ms. Dunlap claims that she told Scott Albertson, a Spec Pro program manager, about the sexual harassment between 2006 and 2008. 'Ms. Dunlap testified that, sometime in 2006, she spoke with Mr. Albertson over the phone about the sexual harassment. Docket No. 34-1 at 13 (Dunlap Dep. 49:20-25). During this conversation, Mr. Albertson had Ms. Dunlap on speaker phone even though Mr. Weis was in Mr. Albertson’s office. Id. She also testified that, sometime in 2007, she spoke with Mr. Albertson about the harassment in the presence of Don Patterson and Regina Clayton, two of her co-workers. Docket No. 21-2 at 19 (Dunlap Dep. 58:19-22). Ms. Dunlap states that she raised the issue of sexual harassment with Mr. Albertson again in October 2008. Docket No. 34-1 at 5 (Dunlap Dep. 74:11-14 (amended deposition testimony)). Ms. Dunlap claims that she had a book in which she kept track of the sexual harassment incidents, but that she gave this book to Mr. Albertson because he told her he would investigate her claims. Id. at 16 (Dunlap Dep. 48:5-8). Mr. Albertson denies ever receiving such a book from Ms. Dunlap. Docket No. 35-2 at 1. Ms. Dunlap states that, despite all of her complaints to Mr.

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939 F. Supp. 2d 1075, 2013 WL 1397294, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 52436, 117 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 1618, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dunlap-v-spec-pro-inc-cod-2013.